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Long, long before mega-marts appeared offering two-thousand different types of food, people were wholly self-reliant and grew their own produce for sustenance. These days, whether it's to get healthier or save some money, people are returning to those old days of organic gardening. Read these tips and find out how you can become a great gardener.



Controlling pests is essential to a high yield garden. There are a variety of products available on the market that will kill any invasive pest in the garden. Many organic pest controls have been perfected over the years that work very well, although they can be more expensive than chemical alternatives. With a quick internet search one can find many safe home remedies for pest control too.




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Use compost that is homemade and free. Making a habit of using leaves, pulled plants and other organic bits, will create a rich and nutritious compost for the garden that is free and organic. Additionally, if an enclosed composter is utilized, kitchen scraps and garbage can be thrown in a mix for an excellent compost that is free also.



It is important that you not forget to water your garden on a regular basis, especially when it is hot. If your plants do not get enough water, roots stay near the surface which can kill your plants or cause them to take even longer to grow. About http://www.finance.yahoo.com/news/local-tree-pros-launches-website-160000974.html/ of water a week is sufficient.



To store your garden-fresh onions for use throughout the winter and avoid having them rot or mold, store them in pantyhose! Yes, pantyhose! Simply place the onions into the legs of pantyhose, and, to avoid letting them touch one another (which is what helps create mold and rot), place a twist tie between each onion and the next. To store, hang the pantyhose by the gusset in a cool dry place and cut off or pop a hole in the pantyhose to grab an onion when you need it.



After a long day of gardening, clean those dirty hands with a breakfast treat. Create a mixture of oatmeal and water. Make it thick! Use the mixture as an abrasive to get http://www.medicinenet.com/tips_for_christmas_tree_safety/views.htm out of your skin and from under your fingernails. Follow it up with your normal soap and water wash to get any lingering dirt off.



To make a dull plant look greener, bury match heads near the plant's base. The primary reason for a plant looking dull or faded is sulfur deficiency. Putting match heads in the soil around the plant will allow the soil to absorb the sulfur and feed it back to the plant.



If your tomato plants have long branches that are not flowering or producing fruit, go ahead and pinch them off. It won't hurt the plant, but will actually help. Pruning back the branches that are not producing fruit, allows the plant to focus its energy and nutrients on producing larger and more flavorful fruit.



Be sure to test your soil before you plant your garden, if you want to be successful without the need for chemicals. A home testing kit can tell you the pH of your soil, which indicates the likelihood of plant survival. A vegetable garden requires a pH of about 6.5; if your soil is off, you can supplement before your plants start to die.



New gardeners should keep things simple. The tendency of new gardeners is to plant a garden that is just way too big and end up with a giant mess in the backyard. Keep it simple and small to start, and work up from there. A small garden will lead to a more positive experience and is less work for a new gardener.



Plastic garden labels can be used over and over again, by following this easy way to remove names written with permanent marker. Just dampen a small piece of cloth with rubbing alcohol and wipe firmly over the name to remove it. This way you won't have to buy a brand new bag of garden labels when you only need one or two.



Try planting a 'one-color' garden bed. While this takes quite a bit of work, due to the limitations of the color palette, it can create a very striking visual. The emphasis is placed more on shape and structure, and it is especially helpful in a small garden, as it makes the area appear much larger. Remember that 'one-color' doesn't mean a single shade. Use all shades in the color palette. For example a blue garden can feature flowers in shades of blue, purple and mauve.



Grow evergreen plants. If you grow too many evergreen plants, your garden runs the risk of looking very gloomy, but a few well-placed evergreens can give a year-round framework. Choose evergreen plants with variegated or lighter green foliage, rather than sticking to darker colors. They can be used as a backdrop for spring and summer plants, and be the main attraction in the fall and winter.



If you want to have great organic produce but are unable to grow it yourself, then you should be sure to check out your local farmer's market. These places always have a different rotation of produce but typically have great prices for some of the best products that you can find in the area.



When planting your tomatoes in your organic garden, you should always make sure that you stake the tomato plants as high as you possibly can when you are transplanting them. The reason is because doing this will eliminate the roots of the plants from being damaged during the transplanting process.



Gardening will make you feel better and will help your yard look spectacular. It's a very great way to eat, and to keep busy. You can find many tools to help you and many nurseries in your area that can sell you different types of plants. It is a fantastic hobby for anyone to take up.